Information on Poe in love with mother-in-law?

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Answers

Maria Clemm was a substitute mother to Poe. He was not "in love" with her in the sense your question suggests. R. W. Griswold also made such a suggestion, but he despised Poe and disliked Mrs. Clemm, so his opinion is merely a curiosity. For Poe, Mrs. Clemm was both a boon and a bane.

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001

Poe(orphaned at an early age) wrote a poem to her as a surrogate mother more precious because she was his beloved wife's mother(To My Mother). Mrs. Clemm wrote a description of Poe that seems to some in our prudish age(when judging other cultures from a distance)too physical and erotic. As to the spitefully vengeful Griswold(whom Poe trashed a bit too cavalierly in a critique)there is more proven junk about him than any of these various dark legends he helped perpetuate- or created out of whole cloth from some of his own failings.

One concern or heavy responibility was to provide for Mrs. Clemm who was not exactly an economic asset for the family. Whatever his sentiments in relation to women(mother figures or other) he seems to have had fulfilled genuine love only for Virginia. Only she loved him fully in return.

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001